Viewpoint: Put higher ed in prisons
By James T. Brett and Michael K. Thomas, Worcester Business Journal
People often refer to support for justice-impacted individuals as a second chance at opportunity and employment. Such chances are critical to expanding work experience, skill development, and economic mobility.
Participating in high-quality, workforce-aligned postsecondary education during and after incarceration provides the best chance for preparing such individuals to successfully re-enter their communities, avoid recidivism, and achieve economic mobility.
Consider: 1) The best way to avoid returning to prison is to participate in education. Incarcerated individuals who do are up to 43% less likely to recidivate. 2) Prison sentences are shorter so preparing for reentry is critical. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics reports the average time served in state prisons in 2020 was 2.5 years. 3) Mass. Department of Correction reports releasing 1,557 people in fiscal 2023. 4) Incarcerated individuals’ participation in postsecondary education inspires the same in extended family, breaking cycles of incarceration and poverty.
The July 2023 restoration of federal Pell Grants for higher education in prison created real opportunities to fundamentally alter post-release success. While progress has been made, there is more to be done.
We convened the New England Commission on the Future of Higher Education in Prison, which made 15 key recommendations for expanding higher education in the region’s correctional facilities. New England must be a leader in providing postsecondary education in prison, and every state in the region must engage stakeholders to develop formal plans for expanding such postsecondary programs.
We need the active support of employers. Businesses can expand their talent pools by including those who are overlooked. More employers can embrace fair chance hiring practices supporting individuals returning from incarceration and ensure our workplaces are ready to nurture their professional growth. Employers and industry associations must engage with elected leaders to support expansion of postsecondary education in prison and with higher education institutions to help develop programs to provide in-demand skills and lead to employment upon re-entry.
We all stand to gain from a coordinated, strategic, approach to higher education in prison: justice-impacted individuals, their families, the businesses that will hire them, and the communities they will re-join upon release. It’s everyone’s best chance.